The University of Western Ontario is grateful post-secondary education remains a high priority for the McGuinty government, even in these times of severe economic uncertainty, says president Paul Davenport.
The 2009 provincial budget was released earlier today by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.
“We believe that the premier and his government have got it right in terms of post-secondary education being the key to the future health of Ontario’s economy, and more importantly, the economy here in London,” says Davenport.
“Even though we do understand that the rate of investment in our sector has had to slow in the current economic environment, we believe the government is committed to our sector long-term for when economic circumstances improve.”
In the budget, Ontario promised $780 million in capital funding for universities and colleges.
“This will enable Western to provide a highly enhanced environment for research and teaching, and will permit the rapid modernization of aging facilities on campus,” says Davenport.
At this point, it is difficult to say what Western’s share of this infrastructure funding will be or which building projects will be affected, he says.
The budget also includes $35 million in capital investment to support the creation of an additional 100 medical school spaces in Ontario.
Although the allocation of these spaces has yet to be determined, Davenport expects the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in London and the satellite campus at the University of Windsor to receive a portion of the funding for expansion.
“We expect some to come to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and for our part we would imagine assigning part of the new places to the London campus and part to the Windsor campus,” he says.
The investment in medical school spaces will help with Ontario’s doctor shortage problem, says Schulich dean Carol Herbert.
“We are very pleased to be able to expand the number of physicians graduating from Schulich who will help meet health human resource needs for southwestern Ontario. We are especially excited to increase the cadre of students in our new Windsor Program,” she says.
As part of its commitment to a “knowledge-based economy” and expanding graduate opportunities, the province also promised $10 million to expand graduate fellowships to assist students pursuing higher levels of education.
“A key factor in recruiting graduate students is providing the students themselves with support for their living and university expenses, so we are grateful for that commitment,” says Davenport.
“We are strong supporters of the McGuinty government’s vision for the future of Ontario as driven by a knowledge-based economy. The importance of education and research is fundamental to our economic health today and will be even more so in the future.”
The budget also includes $150 million in immediate, one-time support for post-secondary institutions, to help with current enrolment and operating pressures.
“We need to get more details on those funds before we have any idea on how it might affect our budget,” says Davenport.
The government will also provide $300 million over six years for research infrastructure, which is designed to leverage recent federal investments in the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and an additional $100 million in funds over four years for research performed in the biomedical field.
“The provincial government’s continued commitment to support research and to provide advanced infrastructure and equipment is not only welcome, it is critical to keeping top minds and jobs in Ontario,” says Ted Hewitt, Western’s Vice-President (Research & International Relations).
“By matching federal funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the province provides Ontario institutions with a competitive advantage and allows for greater investments that will better the health, welfare and economy here.”
Davenport concluded his reaction to the budget on a cautionary note.
“The government, due to current economic circumstances, has been unable to make base budget investment into Ontario’s universities’ operating costs, unlike the period from 2004 to 2008. This means that universities will experience operating budget difficulties for the foreseeable future.”